A Second Chance at Fate
by DibsOnBrigan
Summary: What if she was the change fate was looking for? What if she was all that was missing? Time-turner fic JamesxHermione
1. Prologue

AN: Hey this is my very first fic, so beware. I've got no beta and if anyone wants to volunteer, that'd be great. I really don't know where this is going though, but review and hopefully I'll have another chapter up soon!

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize does not belong to me…..

Everyone froze for a second, watching Voldemort's body hit the ground with a sickening crack. Then reality hit, and it was as if nothing had happened. The battle resumed, fights breaking out everywhere. People from both sides dropped like flies, the floor becoming slick with their blood.

Tucked away in a corner of the Great Hall, an exhausted Hermione was taking advantage of the blood-soaked stone. She fired a tripping jinx and a stunner in quick succession. Her opponent dropped and she watched him fall, so absorbed in his demise that she didn't notice that he'd had time to cast one last spell.

The jet of blue light hit her hard in the exact place her time-turner hung. She had been handed it by Professor McGonagall in the courtyard only an hour ago, when Hagrid was seen carrying what was thought to be Harry's dead body. The metal of the time-turner was growing hotter by the second and glowed the same blue as the spell. Cursing, Hermione yanked the chain away from her skin. She studied it, dangling the end in front of her eyes. They widened when the tiny hourglass began to spin rapidly on its own. A fiery pain raced through her bones before she collapsed. Halfway to the floor, Hermione Granger vanished.


	2. Chapter 1

AN: I know! I didn't expect to get a chapter up so soon either (even though it is ridiculously short)! Don't start expecting this every time though, I was out sick today. There's no James yet…but there will be soon. That's right, be excited. : ) it's a bit rough around the edges, so any advice would be awesome. –Dibs

Disclaimer: Sadly I own absolutely nothing harry potter related, and anything you recognize belongs to its respective owner : (

When Hermione finally hit the ground, she remained unconscious for a split second before waking up and becoming aware of the agonizing pain she was in. That was about when the screaming started. However, even as her mindless shrieks reverberated throughout the Great Hall, her mind was distantly aware of several things. Firstly, wherever she was, it was warm. Secondly, it was clean. Thirdly, she could smell food. _And fourthly_, she thought as she managed to pry her eyes open for a few seconds, _it's the same place I just left._ Her eyes clamped themselves shut again without her consent, leaving her blind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get them to open again. Well, that or stop screaming. It was like her body had taken over control of itself and her mind was simply there to observe. Hermione decided immediately that this wasn't to her liking. One hand that she managed to regain control of scrambled around in search of her wand. Again and again it came up empty.

Inside, she had managed to keep calm until this moment. But the disappearance of her wand was the last straw. It sent her into a whirling panic. She began arguing with herself for some modicum of control, and was so upset by this turn of events that her body promptly listened. Without stopping to think through her decision, she sat up and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a much younger looking Madame Pomfrey.

The teachers had called Poppy Pomfrey directly after Hermione's arrival, which had startled them all a great deal- especially when, a touch after she started screaming, her right hand began to move erratically. By that time they had all gathered around the girl, staying quiet in order to not frighten her. At that task they failed spectacularly. Poppy had bent over the child to ask her to stop screaming when suddenly she snapped her mouth closed, sat up, and opened her eyes. Unfortunately for them, that left only a few inches of space between their faces, which is not an advised way to meet someone who doesn't know you're there. A stroke of luck on their part saw that she didn't start up again with the screaming, but her reaction was still rather unexpected.

"Did you do something new to your hair, Madame Pomfrey?" Hermione asked. Having not anticipating such an inquiry, the reply she received was rather blunt.

"How would you know even if I did?" she then turned to the headmaster. "I've never seen this girl in my life, Albus." This last prompted a strange look from Hermione.

"Is this some kind of joke? Madame Pomfrey you treat me and my friends all the time! You know, Harry and Ron? I just saw you about ten minutes ago before Harry- wait, where is everybody? Was I out that long? How could everybody have gotten everything cleaned up so…" she trailed off at the vacant expressions she was seeing. She glanced down at a spot on her chest that was throbbing something awful. It was the burn she had gotten from the time-turner. Understanding writes itself instantaneously across her features. "I'm sorry. That must have been an extremely vivid dream. I supposed that would make sense, wouldn't it? Could I, uh, please have the date?" asks Hermione in a small voice.

"August 29th, 1977," Dumbledore responds, kindly. "Why don't you and I go for a bit of a walk before making our way to the Hospital Wing, Miss Granger?" she nods in acquiescence. "Very well then. We'll meet you there Poppy." With that they set off down the nearest corridor. As soon as they rounded the first corner, Hermione answered the question that he hadn't yet asked.

"1997," she said. "That's when I'm from."

"May I assume that you went to Hogwarts?"

"Yes Sir, otherwise any knowledge concerning Madame Pomfrey's hair would most likely be hard to come by,"she smiled slightly at her joke. "I completed up through my sixth year. My seventh was spent…elsewhere." She said cryptically.

"You needn't worry about giving too much away about the future, Miss Granger." The air of sadness that cloaked the elderly headmaster was palpable. It made Hermione nervous.

"Sir?"

"I'm afraid that it would be impossible to return you to your original time. Any number of things already might have been altered simply by you showing up here, I'm sorry to say. Now regardless what we attempt to do, things will be unable to go back to the way they were." His words, although spoken kindly enough and in a way meant to let her down easy, seemed to burn her. She stumbled away from Dumbledore, wishing with all she had that what he was saying was untrue.

"You mean, you mean- I'll never see them again. Me coming back here could've already changed so much…Oh God, I'll really never see them again. Harry, Ron, my parents. My parents! I never got them back from Australia. I never said goodbye, to any of them. To anyone. Oh God." She sobbed. Dumbledore swayed back and forth next to her, providing the silent companionship this delicate situation required; even if he did look as if he should be humming. They just stood there in the corridor, Hermione mourning the life she had lost and would never return to.

After a time, it seemed her tears had run out and they took up their walk at a snail's pace, winding their way through the maze towards the Hospital Wing. Neither of them spoke until they reached its entrance.

"Sir, do you think it would alright if I- I mean could you maybe- can I, um, attend this coming term as a seventh year? I would need some help, because I don't have any money, but would that be a possibility?"

"Of course Miss Granger. You'll find that help is always available at Hogwarts to those ask." Eyes once again twinkling, he left her standing there at the doors to the Hospital Wing. Taking one deep breath to ready herself, Hermione pushed them open, and, against all instincts, walked straight toward an irritated healer armed with a cartful of potions.

AN: Pleeeeaaaase review! (I know, I know. I sound needy.)


	3. Chapter 2

_AN:Thanks to everyone who reviewed (__SpellRune, Smithback)! I also would like to say that this is going to be AU, and I'm kind of making it up as I go along. So wish me luck and enjoy this chapter,…and the appearance of James. Trust me when I say it looked like a much longer chapter on Word. -Dibs_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, they and their world belong to JK Rowling. This makes me incredibly depressed.**

Chapter 2

The day after Hermione arrived was spent planning. The moment Dumbledore had begun speaking about her identity; she just raised her eyebrow and told him she was keeping her name. It was after all the only thing she had left, really. The argument could even be made that, since she was muggleborn, her name wouldn't even be a viable factor in any of this. Needless to say, Hermione Granger stayed Hermione Granger. The next step would be to create a cover story, which was easy enough. She would be a homeschooled student whose parents and other family had been killed in the war. As for how she knew her way around the castle, she simply spent some time at Hogwarts over the summer to save herself the embarrassment of constantly getting lost. The matter of her obtaining supplies for term had an easy solution as well.

"I believe that apparating yourself to Diagon Alley would suffice, would it not, Miss Granger? It is bound to be rather lovely this time of day," The old man slipped her a bag of galleons and an old wand, which made her remember for a moment that she had lost hers. Then he winked and she brushed it off. "Poppy? A word?" he chatted aimlessly at the witch, providing enough of a distraction that Hermione was able to slip away without her noticing. From there she made her way down to the gates of the school, shaking her head at the headmaster's antics. He certainly wasn't as serious as he had been in his last years of life. This Dumbledore reminded her of the one that had existed in her first year, before everything began. That thought gave Hermione a small seed of hope. Perhaps this time could be simple, like that that one. Or at the very least just a smidge less complicated.

By this time she had passed through the gates, and so disapparated. Silently, she thanked Madame Pomfrey for fixing her clothes the night before; otherwise she would've gone out in the world looking like a crazed prison-escapee. When she next opened her eyes she was standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron. A small smile made its way onto her face. Then she pushed the door open and proceeded on to Diagon Alley. The place was still bustling with people, everybody doing their last minute shopping for things they had put off for as long as possible. The snippets of conversation Hermione caught were all the same: complaining about having to go back to school, grumbling about not having packed yet, and the double checking of lists. The smile on Hermione's face grew even wider at the fact that, no matter the time period, teenagers remained unchanged. Straightening up, she glanced down at the list. Her mind didn't know where to visit first. Considering it would be a madhouse everywhere she went…her hand squeezed the borrowed wand for a moment in frustration. That brought the wand issue to the front of her mind, and at once Hermione was off to Ollivander's.

Mr. Ollivander greeted her kindly, and immediately had her measured. The second the magical measuring tape finished, he disappeared into the depths of his shop. Not much later, he returned with an armload of boxes, which he set carefully on the counter. The first she tried, Ebony and Unicorn, thirteen and a half inches, extremely springy, did absolutely nothing when she waved it. Next they tried several other wands that followed the same trend as the other. They just didn't work.

"It isn't that they dislike you, Miss Granger. They are simply aware that another wand has already chosen you. We'll find it soon, I think." he explained wisely. She nodded, but was still unsure until she sighted a wand peeking out of a box right at the top of the nearest shelf.

"Mr. Ollivander? What about that one?" Hermione asked in a whisper, pointing at the wand in question. He furrowed his brow in puzzlement and then smoothed it out in understanding.

"Of course," he muttered to himself. "How could I have forgotten?" He quickly scampered up the ladder with the agility of a much younger man, bringing the desired box back down to the counter. The look on his face as he picked the wand up from the case was one of reverence. Mr. Ollivander placed the wand in her hand and the moment it touched her skin, both the wand and her scar began to glow a light blue. Slowly, the glow faded until both had returned to their original coloring. The instant every trace of it had gone, a rush of calm invaded her body and the shop was scented with the smell of thunderstorms. Hermione turned her head to look at him, eyes wide. He offered her a kind smile. It was obvious that he had also felt the calm that she had.

"What- what was that?" she asked him. Her voice was full of wonder.

"May I offer your new wand as a gift? A second chance at fate is a marvelous thing indeed- although it may also be considered overwhelming. Something tells me this is a turning point in your life, Miss Granger. Good luck." Hermione gripped her wand tightly, aware that she had been dismissed. Whatever that had been, it both excited and scared her. Perhaps Dumbledore would be able to tell her what was going on. She turned and left the shop, mind laden with questions.

Although it felt like she had been inside the wand shop for hours, it surprised Hermione to find that it was still only mid-morning. The sun shone brightly, and there was plenty of time to get her shopping done. Stowing her newly acquired wand in her pants pocket, she pulled out her list again. While she was looking at it, someone unexpectedly bumped into her. The list fluttered to the ground, surprise having caused her to release it. After teetering for a second she fell. It almost felt like slow motion, and she braced herself for the impact. Then suddenly her body came to a stop with a jerk. It wasn't, however, on the cobblestones like she expected. Cracking one eye open, Hermione found herself cradled in a pair of muscled arms encased in a green sweater, and dangling only an inch or two above the ground. Slowly she opened her other eye as well, and then they both flicked up to the face of the owner of the green sweater.

Hermione gazed at the young man in surprise. He was like a taller, slightly more striking version of Harry, only with hazel eyes that were currently staring back at her with concern.

"Sorry 'bout that, are you alright?" After she nodded, he pulled her back upright and ruffled his own hair, his face taking on a slight blush. "The name's James by the way. I didn't mean to knock you over, my friend Sirius shoved me and I sort of tripped." he said with a grin. It appeared on his face like a flash of lightning, gone again just as quick.

"Tripped you, my arse. Prongsie here just enjoys running down gorgeous birds in his spare time. It's a sick and twisted game he plays, we've tried to get him to stop, you see, but he just refuses! I think it would really be in your best interest, Love, if you stayed close to me so I can protect you from such a disturbed individual." Sirius drawled with a wink. Hermione raised an eyebrow back at him before addressing the others. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed James elbow Sirius in the side, hard, and whisper something at him furiously. She flicked her gaze over to them momentarily, and they made eye contact. Blushes immediately spread across both of their faces. She internally shook it off, addressing the entire group.

"Is he always like this?" she asked. They laughed in response before the one on the left spoke up.

"Much to our dismay, and to that of the women he comes into contact with. I'm Remus." He stuck out his hand, giving her a polite smile. It was in that moment, seeing them all together, that she began to realize just how big of a deal this was. Harry's father was still alive; alive and young, for Merlin's sake! Sirius was standing there, in the flesh and blood, as well as Lupin. She mentally started when it hit her that in her timeline, all three of the boys in front of her were dead. Forcing herself to stay calm, she shook Professor Lu- _Remus's _hand and emitted a small laugh.

"Hermione. Are all of you shopping for school supplies as well?" she asked. Their affirmation was easily picked up on by the pained looks they all sported.

"I'm afraid so. Mum said that we'd regret putting it off, but I didn't think it'd be this crowded." James said, pouting.

"I know! The nerve of them all, making this place a living Hell on purpose." Sirius muttered. Hermione laughed.

"It's absolutely dreadful. My next stop is Flourish and Blott's and that is garaunteed to take hours- especially with Moony here." said James. Remus just rolled his eyes.

"Well I guess I'll just leave you guys to it then." Hermione said amiably, making a show of readying herself for entering the fray. She had turned to go when a hand caught her wrist, gently pulling her to a stop and spinning her back to face them.

"Wait! Er, I was wondering, Hermione, if you wanted to- you know, do your shopping with us. We could split up into groups, and get it done faster. Without Peter here we kind of have an odd number. And, well I did knock you down and waste your time," Hermione interrupted him, with a small smile on her face. He was extremely nervous, although she didn't know why. Maybe it was because he was worried Lily wouldn't approve? She pushed it all out of her mind, intent on living in the moment.

"Sure, I'd love to. Where are we going first?"

**AN: Please, please, please review! (Oh, and let me know if there are any typos, because I am currently beta-less and know that they bother me whenever I find them.)**


	4. Chapter 3

_AN: I know, I know. The wait was atrocious. And I'm sorry for that. But better late than never, right? I slaved long and hard over this chapter and rewrote it about eight times because my characters seem to have minds of their own….Anyways, I hope it's satisfactory. : ) –Dibs_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Damn.**

**Chapter 3**

After agreeing that they would split into pairs so shopping would go faster, the group divided up their money. Sirius, of course, had refused to take Hermione's. He had spouted something about how angels shouldn't pay before seeing the look on her face and disappearing into the crowd with a wink, dragging Remus with him. She rolled her eyes at his antics, glad in a way to see that he never changed.

"I don't know how you deal with him." She said to James, chuckling. He smirked.

"Well it's not me getting hit on, is it?" there was a slightly awkward pause as he mumbled, "At least not most of the time." This coaxed a surprised snort from Hermione, and soon enough both of them were doubled over in laughter.

"We should, probably, get started." She gasped, still attempting to regain breath. With a nod from James, she continued. "To Flourish and Blott's then?" he glanced over at the nearby store that was full to bursting, and then straightened both his posture and askew glasses. Hermione barely stopped her shock from showing. She hadn't even noticed that he wore glasses in her original appraisal. She chastised herself for her ignorance, because in the future that was a well-known fact. As she continued to study his face, determined to get it right this time, she saw that they weren't round like Harry's but instead rectangular with soft edges. It was flattering. She mentally kicked herself for that thought as well. What was going on with her? First the experience in the wand shop, and now practically drooling over her best friend's dad…

She was torn from her thoughts by the sight of James puffing his chest out and pointing toward the shop with one hand, the other on his hip.

"Onward, fair maiden! May we return alive and laden with many books!" he declared rather loudly. Everyone around them turned to glare at him, but he ignored it, gesturing vigorously for her to follow.

"If you lead, I shall follow." The words slipped out of Hermione's mouth in an easy manner, though to her they seemed heavy with some deeper meaning. They slid out one by one, perfectly spaced and painted with good humor. If felt strange, as if she was not saying them of her own accord, and the universe was determined that she say them anyway. A small wave of peace washed through her as it had in Ollivander's and, unbeknownst to her, her scar glowed again like before. Her racing heart and mind slowed. And when James went weaving his way to Flourish and Blott's, Hermione was behind him every step of the way.

It wasn't until many hours later that the group's school shopping was finally completed. Sirius and Remus had arrived first, leaving just enough room for Hermione to collapse next to them on the bench that they had claimed. James eyed them for a moment before he shrugged and sprawled out across their empty laps, prompting a collective groan as he pressed on their sore muscles and various bruises from stray crowd elbows.

"Come off it, Prongs. We all know you're too tall for this to even be comfortable." Which was true, he surmised. But then again…it was better than the ground.

"But Padfoot!" James whined. Hermione raised her eyebrows. It was amazing how much he sounded like his son. Harry didn't whine often, but when he did it was dreadful.

"If you can sit on the bench will you stop with that ghastly noise?" she asked. With big puppy dog eyes, he looked at her and nodded. Even she had to admit that he had those down to an exact science. He could probably get anything he wanted with that look. She sighed and motioned for him to get up. "Move your head, you git. You can have my seat. I should probably be heading back anyway." James didn't move an inch, instead choosing to make his body deadweight so she couldn't move at all. Sirius was regarding her with an extremely confused expression.

"What do you mean, head back?" he demanded.

"I have to make sure I get a room before they're all gone. Otherwise I have to floo back to the castle tonight and won't get to ride the train. So if you would kindly let me up…"

"Why would you need a room? And what's all this about flooing to the castle?" Hermione stiffened. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten to pitch her story.

"Oh right. Um, you see, I'm a new student at Hogwarts this year, and I've been staying at the castle because I have nowhere else to go. I was homeschooled before this by my parents, but they….they were," here she paused in an attempt to ward of the tears. Every time she thought of this story it brought the memory of Harry and Ron rushing back. "They were killed in the war. So I contacted Dumbledore to see if he would allow me to complete my education at Hogwarts. That's why I need a room if I want to take the train."

Everyone was silent for a few moments. Then James unexpectedly grabbed her hand and held it tightly. A few more minutes passed in respect for her loss before Sirius blurted out excitedly,

"You know what this means, don't you James?"

"That if you don't move, Prongs, we won't even be allowed to ride the train with her." Remus said; briefly removing his head from the book it was buried in. He gave her a nod that acknowledged her loss and something small inside her broke. He was already starting to transform into the burdened man she knew in the future. A moment later, however, she chuckled at what he had said. Always the practical one, Remus. Hermione glanced down at James to see a smile spreading across his face.

"I hadn't even thought of that at all." He said back. Then he turned to Hermione. "But now you know us, you have a guaranteed compartment….so you might as well get the whole marauder experience."

"The what?" she saw Remus shaking his head with a mischievous grin out of the corner of her eye. "Should I be worried?" She eyed them with distrust. They all began laughing at her expression.

"Well come on, Love. Is it a yes or a no?" Sirius asked, nearly bouncing with impatience. When she took a second to stare each one of them down, she saw that they all were. Even James, who was laying down (how that was possible she didn't know). With a resigned slump of her shoulders, she caved.

"Very well. You better hope I don't regret agreeing to this. And would you mind filling me in on the marauders reference?" Hermione added in that last bit just to keep up her façade. They looked gob smacked that someone could not have heard of them and she bit her cheek to keep from laughing. To them the world was still so small.

Suddenly Hermione felt very old. Very old, very small, and very weary. Without warning, as if she had missed some sort of secret signal, James jumped up and sprinted down the street, pulling the girl whose hand was still clasped in his with him. The other two exchanged a glance as they followed. None of them had any idea that such a small thing had set them careening down a whole new path.

**AN: Please review. You know you want to…**


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: I can't believe I missed all of this before….so here is a gigantic author's note. It seems that I have neglected to add in some details that I thought I had. Brilliant of me, no? And I apologize very much as that may have caused some confusion. Following this is a list of need-to-know details that may or may not have already been written in, but I figure it's better to be safe than sorry.**

**I accidently said she was homeschooled by her parents. That is not true, so please ignore it. She was sort of homeschooled though. This chapter will explain. **

**Whenever I mention a glowing scar it is one on her chest that the time-turner gave her. I thought I wrote a whole scene about it but apparently I only mentioned it in passing.**

**Her wand is Larch wood with dragon heartstring. The first has a meaning, the second doesn't really mean anything, but you can read into it if you like. : ) The wand in general **_**will**_** play a part in the story.**

**She was shocked and happy to meet Dumbledore…you know cuz in her time he's dead and all, but she hasn't really dealt with those feelings yet. She's only been there for what, like two days?**

**When she gets sent back to the past Dumbledore somehow miraculously knows her name. Just pretend she told him first. Oops. **

**Thanks for putting up with this. Hope you like the chapter! Enjoy : ) –Dibs**

Chapter 4

They didn't run for very long. By the time they stopped however, Hermione was both out of breath and lost.

"Where are we?" she hissed, hyperaware of the contact between her and James. He glanced around before announcing with a shrug that he really hadn't the foggiest.

"This is just how he does it, Hermione. James has a few quirks- and this is one of them. After the first few times you kind of get used to it." said Remus.

"He's certainly come a long way, hasn't he James? I remember the time when he-"

"We agreed never to speak of it again. Remember?" Remus interjected, embarrassed.  
"I still don't understand why you made us put it on the list of Unspeakable Things, Moony. It wasn't _that_ bad." James muttered. Hermione was distracted from her irritation by this.

"You have a list of Unspeakable Things?" Her face was consumed with a look of curiosity. She wondered if Harry and Ron had had one of those. It sounded like something they would do. Maybe there was a special charm that literally made things unspeakable, like an unbreakable vow. Or perhaps it was more of an honor code. Could it be something that could be utilized later for the stuff that was really important? Was Peter included in this?

At the thought of the traitorous man, her expression darkened. He was most likely already a deatheater by now. A feeling of hate so violent rose inside Hermione that she nearly choked in surprise. She had always disliked Pettigrew, even been disgusted by him. Yet now her loathing for his cowardice and betrayal knew no bounds. Was this how Harry had felt? Having met James she couldn't understand why anyone would want to betray him. What little time she had spent with him had shown his undeniable goodness and overall strength of character. It had her wondering if Harry's upbringing had been different, he would have been more likened to his free-spirited father. The thought sent a jolt of sadness through her, so she cast it aside. The stories she had heard from Harry about James terrorizing Snape and being an arrogant bully- well she couldn't find any resemblance between the boy described and the young man before her.

By the time Hermione reached that conclusion, the Marauders had given up trying to get her attention. Now they were simply standing there in silence, waiting for her to emerge from whatever deep thoughts she was having. From what observations they had made throughout the time spent with her, they had realized that she was a bit strange. But they chalked it up to her life experiences and the fact that she had been homeschooled; those who were tended to be on the odd side. One of the things that set her apart were the long periods she spent randomly staring into space, with an array of expressions like the ones they had just witnessed flitting across her face. She could go from looking amused one minute, a smile playing around her lips, to outraged, eyes sparking and face flushed. From heartbreakingly sad to intensely curious. She was something of an extremely likeable enigma to them.

A foreign pressure that she hadn't registered until it lifted was what returned her to reality. Slowly she regained perception of her surroundings. All three boys were staring at her with looks varying from puzzled (Remus), to impatiently bored (Sirius). James was somewhere in the middle, sporting a polite I'll-wait-until-you're-finished expression meshed with the look one wears when doing a difficult arithmancy problem in their head. She started in surprise from their attentions.

"Merlin! Why are all of you looking at me like that?" Sirius snorted in disbelief.

"Why, she says. Isn't that just lovely. She has no idea she was bleeding unresponsive for the last five minutes." He deadpanned.

"I was unresponsive? What are you talking about?" asked Hermione, her voice a touch sharp.

"He's right Hermione. You were off with the fairies." James said. He saw the potential angry outburst in her stance and slowly edged behind Remus. But it turned out he had judged their new friend- in their minds she was, without a doubt, already a friend- incorrectly. Instead of going off on an irritated rampage, her shoulders sagged in embarrassed defeat.

"Sorry. It's been a very long couple of days for me is all."

"Chin up, Love. We've got just the thing. Hold on tight." The last he added as an afterthought which thankfully she heeded, tightening her grip on James' hand. With a crack, they disappeared. When they landed Hermione stumbled for a step or two before righting herself and releasing James. He flashed one of his lightning grins at her before starting down a paved path. The remaining three teens fell in behind him.

The path, which was obviously well-maintained, led to a gigantic house. No, house wasn't the right word. It was too grand to be a house. Hermione took in her surroundings with wide eyes, finally deciding to call it a manor. Because that was what all of the old pureblood families called their house/castles, wasn't it? The structure appeared to be at least three floors tall and made of weathered gray stone, with a huge set of double oaken doors at the entrance. The thing was so gargantuan that you could have two families of seven occupying it and have them never meet. And magical houses tended to be bigger on the inside than how the outside looked, so it could probably fit even more. All that space, and if this was indeed the Potter's house, as she suspected, then there were only the three of them-plus Sirius- living there. She bit her lip as she registered the thought that had just run through her mind. James Potter had brought her _home_. That was an odd sentence if there ever was one. She wasn't sure if she should be nervous or amazed. So she settled for both.

The expression on her face that came as a result of that decision caught Sirius' attention. He took pity on the girl and extracted himself from a conversation on quidditch with James, leaving him to chat with Remus. He slowed his gait so that he was even with Hermione.

"There's no need to feel nervous. Mr. and Mrs. P are great."

"You do realize that I've only known all of you for a day, right? What if you're bringing some crazy murderer into their house? They haven't even met me and what if they hate-" He cut off her nervous rambling.

"Whoa there, Hermione. We might have only known you for a day, but we happen to pride ourselves on being excellent judges of character. You are not the type of bird to be extra generous with your Avada's. Secondly it's the way we were raised. You needed somewhere to sleep, and they had one. Do you know how miffed Mrs. P would've been if we hadn't gotten you to come? And thirdly, we wouldn't have brought you here if we didn't think you'd get on with them as well as you did with us. So calm down, all right?" She nodded, looking a little sheepish. Logic had deserted her for a few minutes. There was no reason to get all panicky.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, it's just that, well, to be honest, I've really no idea what the proper etiquette for these types of things is. The wizarding world has such different customs than the muggle one." Sirius was surprised at this. He guessed he was so used to things as they were, having had the pureblood etiquette drilled into him since he could listen. It was second nature to him now. But why would she know more about the muggle world than this one?

"So you're muggleborn then?" he guessed. She nodded. "But I thought you said you were homeschooled?"

"Well, there was a small wizarding school near my house. Only about five of us attended. That pretty much qualified as homeschooling to me." She said with a shrug. He looked her in the eye, trying to get this next point across with no room for interpretation.

"The Potters won't care about you being muggleborn, you know. They aren't that sort." After that his words turned to mumbles that Hermione had to strain to hear. "I would know, seeing as I practically live here because my parents are." He knew he sounded bitter but he didn't care. Hermione studied him, a bit spooked. For those few minutes he had been the exact replica of the Sirius she had known. She decided not to respond, but gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. They both laughed at how far up she had to reach. The mood was light again, the group teasing each other good-naturedly.

Finally they arrived at the front door, which swung open on its own. She hesitated for a moment at the threshold, but a wink from Sirius urged her on. James made eye contact with her and assumed the same renaissance air he had used earlier.

"Welcome, fair maiden, to Potter Manor. May your stay be enjoyable and not plagued by the ghosts of my ancestors!" A mischievous smirk grew on Sirius' mouth as an idea formed. James stared him down, eyes stormy, with a face that clearly said: you wouldn't. The smirk grew bigger as he turned to Remus, whose eyes were sparkling with suppressed laughter.

"Remus, dear friend, do you remember the year he spent refusing to set foot on the fourth floor?" A fake innocent look was on his face when he replied.

"Because his dad told him that his great-grandfather had died up there and the body was never found? Oh yes. My favorite part was his reaction when he found out that-"

"Really that was where they were hiding Prongs' Christmas presents?" Sirius finished. The two boys busted into laughter while James just stood there, blushing. Hermione had at first attempted to stifle her giggles, but gave up when the mental image of James avoiding an entire floor of his own house popped into her mind.

"Oh bugger off. I was twelve!" he said, rather loudly. Out of nowhere a woman's voice rang out from behind him.

"James Potter! Language!" She said it sternly, although with an undercurrent of humor that told them she had heard the whole conversation.

"Yes, mum." he mumbled, ducking his head.

"And who is this lovely young lady you have brought with you?" Mrs. Potter asked. She was studying Hermione with a kind smile. If one took time to study the woman in return they would see the small flicker of disbelief behind her sparkling hazel eyes. 'This girl, she has something wrong inside her- something that needs righting.' Dorea Potter thought. Even as it passed through her mind she disagreed with herself. The way she had first phrased it had made it sound evil. No, something was merely…off-track. Astray. That was it.

Hermione was intimidated to say the least. Mrs. Potter was a very regal looking woman, dressed in a gorgeous blue silk dress with graying obsidian hair pulled back in an elegant bun. It made Hermione, in her worn muggle jeans and white cotton t-shirt, curls frizzing something awful, feel extremely underdressed. She mentally sent another prayer of thanks to Madame Pomfrey for cleaning it as well as mending it. Hunting horcruxes hadn't exactly allowed for anything glamorous. And she was too practical of a person to have tried, anyway.

"Oh, sorry. This is Hermione. She's going to be a seventh year as well. Hermione, this is my mum." James said quickly, eyes flicking back and forth between the two in order to see both of their reactions. There was a foreign feeling in his gut that told him that this _needed_ to go well.

"Hello, Mrs. Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you. You, um, your home is very lovely. I've never seen anything so grand."

"Thank you, dear. But please call me Dorea. The boys must have been dragging you everywhere this day. How are you feeling? You are staying the night, aren't you? Of course you are, I won't take no for an answer. You may have your choice of any of the vacant guest rooms. While I don't have a personal favorite, I would recommend one on the fourth floor, if only for my peace of mind. Then I can at least be sure Jamie won't be tempted to sneak into your room!" she chattered. Hermione blushed.

"Oi! Mum!" James said, rather loudly, before she could respond.

"Oh don't bother arguing with me. You know full well it's true." Hermione blushed even harder when she realized that she wasn't going to specify which part was true. Mrs. Potter had opened her mouth to speak again when Hermione's stomach decided to growl. Softly though it may have been, the woman's head snapped towards her. "How could I have forgotten? You must be starving! I actually came along in the first place to collect you all for dinner, so let's do that, shall we?" she turned and led them to the dining room. They all sat down at what appeared to be their regular seats while Hermione lingered awkwardly in the doorway, uncertain where she should sit.

"What's this?" A deep voice boomed from the head of the table. A man whom she hadn't yet spotted was sitting there. He looked about the same age as Dorea, so she guessed that that must be Mr. Potter. While she was still recovering from his first words, he spoke again. "Someone find the lass a seat!" James scooted down a chair, leaving a place open between him and his mother. He patted the seat and grinned. She smiled back timidly and seated herself.

It seemed James had learned from the incident in the foyer and introduced her to his father without being asked. Dinner passed smoothly, with a steady flow of pleasant conversation. When everyone had finished, Dorea got up and began clearing the plates. Hermione wondered why she would do it herself when surely they had more than a few house elves. After all they would _have_ to, to keep up on chores with a house this size. Either way, she reasoned, she was doing it, so the least she could do was assist. The woman protested the moment she saw Hermione pick up her plate.

"Don't worry about it dear. I've got everything under control. Besides, you're a guest! Go have fun with the boys. I know they've got plans." She said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked reluctantly. "It's really no trouble."

"Of course! I wish you the best of luck," Dorea said, eyes twinkling. "You're going to need it."


	6. Chapter 5

_AN: 10,000 years later, I know. It's horrible. RL and Writer's Block came together to spite me, I swear. This pathetically dodgy update schedule (I don't believe it can even be called that) is an abomination, yes, but if I'm being realistic it will probably continue to be my pattern. Which is awfully hypocritical of me, considering I hate when people do that same thing to me. So I apologize from the depths of the black lake, where I have exiled myself to live in shame. The merpeople are actually quite frightening and don't like me much, but I guess it's karma. My problem is that I don't really have a very strong idea of the main plot line yet. This means my mind is wandering every which way and it results in no chapter. I do have a few solid ideas that are for sure, and a general direction I want to go in, however. I'm trying not to be too much of a cliché, although I have to admit that I do love them. So feel free to share any ideas or questions that could help me develop the plot some more. *Wink, wink* Anyways, here's another chapter! A bit fluffy, but I slogged through hell and high water to create it. I believe it's my longest one yet. I did attempt to add a bit of JamesxHermione cuteness to tide you over, as well as develop the characters some more. : ) Enjoy and be sure to let me know what you think, the good and the bad. -Dibs_

_P.S. I'd like to thank all my earlier reviewers: Addicted2StrawberryMilkshake s, TsukiyoTenshi, Smithback, Guest, Beautiful-Liar13, Katarin Kishika, Eylia Riddle, Guest, Sideways Jill, MaraudersAtHeart, embirsiphonelilathia, BeastsRose23, AbigailPaine, JosiScharman, pastel, Katarin Kishika, Zelma Kallas, MorgannaLeFae, Dark Goddess109, EllaLewis, Julia-or-Jules, Dgfleetfox, TamariChan, Jazmingirl, bookaddict19, Dri Almighty, adrianiforever, doobbyy, KEZZ 1, Shadow Girl, Guest, Little Mudblood, Loveforcullens, Dgfleetfox, and cosmoGirl666._

Chapter 5

Hermione needed to sneeze. Desperately. However, she was at an impasse. If she sneezed, Sirius would hear and immediately hone in on her hiding place. If she didn't sneeze, there was a large possibility that she could implode. Why did she have to choose such a dusty spot? Her breathing started coming out in pants. There was no way she was going to make it. The footsteps grew closer and closer to the table she had crammed herself under. As he swung the lantern wildly, hoping to catch a glimpse of his prey, a bright sliver of light shined directly into Hermione's eyes.

"A-A-pfshka!" She attempted to muffle the explosive sneeze, but only succeeded in creating a sound similar to that of a dying bird's final crow. Her head banged against the side of the desk and she groaned. Sirius let out a high-pitched squeak and whirled towards the source of the noises. At the sight of Hermione's form halfway sprawled out from under the desk, holding her head and giggling, he began to laugh as well.

"Under the desk, or at least kind of. Hermione." He stated with a smile. She rolled her eyes.

"And I wonder how you figured that one out. A game that requires skill and cunning indeed. You all just wait until someone makes a mistake and reveals themselves, don't you?" Sirius stuck his nose in the air and huffed at her.

"We most certainly do not. Using the lantern happens to be my strategy. One that works very well, thank you very much. Now sit down and be quiet. I have to think of what I'm going to ask you." Hermione actually did admire the ingenuity required to create this game, it had very few rules but was extremely difficult. The Marauders had explained it to her like this: First, they decide on a room. As long as it had plenty of hiding spots it didn't really matter which one. There was one person- called the seeker, like in quidditch and muggle hide-and-go-seek- who stood in the hallway while the rest of the players- who were literally called the-poor-gits-that-had-to-sit-still- found a place to hide inside the chosen room and, like their name called for, sat very still and tried not to make any sound. The-poor-gits-that-had-to-sit-still are allowed to use magic to help them disguise themselves. However, the seeker is banned from it altogether. Once the poor-gits hide, the seeker enters and basically prowls around until somehow they figure out where someone is hiding, in a very specific way, and who exactly it is. They call it out, and if the seeker gets it correct, that poor-git loses and has to answer any question the seeker asks them. And quote "No lying because Remus can tell." If the seeker guesses _another_ location and poor-git right, both the first and the second answer a question. And so forth. Essentially, getting found sucked, but especially if you were first. The game ends when the seeker guesses incorrectly, whether it be their first guess or their thirtieth. The seeker for the next round is chosen by who lasted the longest. If that couldn't be decided by process of elimination, a coin was flipped.

It had taken them repeating themselves a few times before she had fully grasped the concept of the game. Hermione's head had immediately gone to how good of a training method that could be. Stealth, self-discipline, strategy, and patience were all compulsory to win, and the motivation was not wanting to have to possibly spill your secrets to whoever was playing. To be honest, at first she thought that she was going to slaughter them...so naturally she lost miserably. Glaring at Sirius, she sat down on the floor. Awaiting her fate stoically was never something that she was especially good at.

"I've got just the perfect question for you, Love. It goes back to the basics, considering we don't know yours yet. Now tell me. How many blokes have you snogged?" He drawled, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. A blush quickly spread across her face and continued down her neck.

"What is this, a slumber party?" He waited expectantly for a real answer. The longer she remained silent, the more the silence seemed to grow. Hermione ducked her head self-consciously before muttering something. In the quiet, however, they could still make it out.

"One." The look on Sirius' face would've been comical if she wasn't so mortified. His eyes were practically bugging out of his head. A few seconds passed before he regained composure.

"All right then, very well. Now don't distract me, I rather want to find those two sods." Hermione was slightly confused because his words didn't at all match his actions. Now he was simply staring at her, though he obviously didn't see her. The look in his eyes suggested that his thoughts were miles away. He returned to himself with a shake of the head, appearing slightly dazed. Then, with no warning besides the devilish grin he shot her, he spun to face the window behind him. The lantern followed with barely a second's delay and Sirius used its momentum (it was a heavy lantern) to heft it at the frosty panes of glass. She flinched, bracing herself for the impending disaster.

"Sirius! What in Merlin's name-" She shouted. But nothing happened. The window remained unharmed and the lantern had simply stopped right before impact. In fact, it was still hanging in the sideways in the air. Now it was her turn to gape. A moment passed. Then another one. They both remained frozen, Sirius staring determinedly at the window, and Hermione mid-shout, one arm halfway raised to cover her face. Finally, the tensed muscles in Sirius' neck relaxed. She closed her mouth with a soft click and let her arm fall to her lap. As he began to turn around, a sigh sounded from the area to the right of the window, where the sill met a large oaken bookshelf. It wasn't loud, actually it was perhaps the quietest noise she had ever heard.

Like lightning, Sirius pounced- only to be thrown back a few feet by a repelling jinx. Muffled laughter now came from the form by the window. A small smile appeared on Hermione's face. Whoever it was sounded so carefree. Her eyes began to restudy the area from whence it came, looking for any sign that would reveal the person hiding. Then something clicked in her head. The window. Once she looked in it, she saw the slight disturbance in the picture reflected back at her. That made it obvious that he was using a disillusionment charm. 'The figure was too tall to be Remus,' she thought, 'so then it had to be-'

"James! Laughing his bloody arse off in the corner by the window." said Sirius, who was by now looking entirely too smug. With a groan, James removed the disillusionment charm and winked back into view. His face was flushed from suppressed laughter, and he absent-mindedly ruffled his own hair as he went to sit next to Hermione, giving Sirius a dirty look as he passed him. A mischievous glint was in his eyes as he settled down onto the luxurious carpet beside her. Hermione gave him a questioning look. Sure to make full eye contact with the girl, he then proceeded to wink. In slow motion. Looking back on it, she had no idea how that could be even remotely possible. But at that moment, Hermione was too busy swooning-inside, where it was less obvious- to care about the logistics of the action. There was just something about those hazel eyes...Sirius cleared his throat loudly in a successful attempt at getting her attention, focused as it was firmly on her hands. She jumped slightly and blushed at being caught daydreaming.

"Erm, you were saying?" she asked.

"You blush a lot." James blurted out. He immediately wished he could take it back. Could he have sounded any more like a first year? It was taking all his will power not to whip out his wand and erase the memory from the minds of everyone in the room.

"I do not." she responded, crossing her arms for emphasis. Of course now she was blushing harder. The boys began to laugh again. A few giggles even escaped her at the absurdity of the argument. In the back of her mind, the mushy, school-girl part that she was currently trying to suppress, the sound byte of James' laugh was being filed away for future remembrance. The tone was deep and rich, and made the tiniest trace of a smile appear on her face. Suddenly- she was starting to think that everything that these boys did was done without warning- James leaped up and tackled Sirius to the ground, effectively pinning him.

"I'm invoking clause twenty-five. You now no longer possess the right to question me or anyone under my protection for the duration of this round. I can, however turn your power against you and ask the amount of questions you were going to ask us. Any already thought of questions you were for-sure going to ask will now be asked of you. Were there any?" After this display, he again made eye contact with Hermione, something that seemed to be turning into a habit, and made a face that clearly said, "I told you I had a plan."

"Fine, fine, I accept your terms. Now get off me." A stern look from James reminded him of the question he had been asked. "And I was going to ask Hermione if she was currently dating the bloke she snogged." At this last, James looked slightly pained. Sirius muttered something in response that sounded a bit like, "not for me, you dolt" and looked reassured when his best friend's countenance smoothed out. Although he seemed reluctant to do so, James released Sirius and scooted back over to his previous seat. Hermione chose this time to speak up.

"So Sirius, I'm now truly curious. _Are_ you currently dating that bloke you snogged?" Following a few seconds of stunned silence, she received both a high-five and an insulted look.

"Of course not." Sirius huffed. "I dumped him weeks ago." They all burst out laughing when he could no longer maintain his straight face. (AN: To be technically correct I believe he is actually _reverting_ to his straight face.) Together, James and Hermione hashed out the remaining two questions and allowed the sulking boy to return to searching for Remus. It was explained to her that Remus was used to having to remain hidden for long periods of time because he always won and they always got distracted, but she felt it was unfair to keep him on edge for no reason at all. The game ended relatively quickly when Remus was discovered on top of a bookshelf napping. This resulted in several drawings of an inappropriate nature being spelled onto his face, of course. Honestly Hermione had expected nothing else. In fact, she had seen worse things done to the poor students of Hogwarts when they fell asleep in their common rooms. In the beginning of her prefect career, she had endeavored to bring about the end of this particular tradition, but after seeing the victims were always the same people who could have avoided the whole thing by walking twenty yards to their dormitory, she felt they rather deserved it.

According to the Marauders, the hour was still early and there was much to do. On their way to wherever they were going Hermione could see that dusk had descended, cloaking the Potter's property in shadows. The group abruptly stopped in front of something. Being a great deal shorter than the boys, Hermione couldn't quite make out what it was. Thankfully she was spared the shameful act of jumping in an attempt to see over their shoulders by Remus. He noticed her predicament and edged over slightly to allow her a view of what it was they were staring at. It turned out to be a beautiful wizarding painting of a waterfall (which meant that the water was actually in motion) that took up a large part of the stone wall. In the midst of her admiration of the exquisite work of art, she heard James whisper a single word. _Veritaserum._ A section of the waterfall was pushed upwards, as if there were something deflecting it. This created a sort of makeshift entryway to a hidden room beyond. One by one, each of the teenagers entered. The water resumed its natural flow behind them.

The room was medium sized, nothing grand, with picture windows that looked out onto a courtyard with a decorous fountain. The lengthy curtains that bordered either side started out as the palest silver but seamlessly transformed into the deepest blue as it brushed the floor. The ceiling was paneled over with cherry toned wood and there were wonderfully plush tan carpets covering the floor. There was a small fireplace in the corner that was burning cheerfully. One gargantuan bookshelf dominated another wall and there was both a long midnight blue couch and a large, clearly well-loved dark gray wingbacked chair(although it was made more in the fashion of a loveseat) in the center of the room. Hermione was in love. A deep sigh was extricated from somewhere deep inside her and she felt a small weight lift from the pit of her stomach that she hadn't realize she had been carrying around.

Eventually Hermione dragged herself from her internal musings to find Sirius and Remus lounging on the sofa and James perched in the chair. Right on the edge he sat, as if he simply hadn't the thought of scooting backward and getting situated. He was staring at her intently again, as he had in Diagon Alley. She glanced between both seating options. How they didn't think she'd notice Remus and Sirius spread out more, taking up every spare inch with their gangly limbs she had no idea. They were being about as obtrusive as they could possibly be. She mentally rolled her eyes before slowly sitting down next to James in the chair. It was a bit of a tight fit because they were trying not to bump each other and make things awkward. After a few minutes of silence during which nothing but uncomfortable shifting and throat clearing occurred, they gave up and just sat like normal people. Hermione blushed, the contact the entire left side of her body with James filling her with butterflies.

The scar on her chest again glowed its soft blue, the light this time showing through her shirt. All of the tension melted from their shoulders. Hermione closed her eyes, now in utter bliss- what with the perfect room and the lovely feeling that had just settled over the top of her. This action made her unaware of the six pairs of confused eyes that were now locked on her shirt. The scar was barely peeking out of the top, the rest hidden by the white (now tinged blue) cotton t-shirt she was wearing.

"Merlin's beard," Breathed James.

"What do you think it is?" Whispered Sirius.

"Do you think she knows that she's glowing?" asked Remus quietly. The boys seemed hesitant to disturb Hermione about the matter after noting how peaceful she looked. A shrug and scrutinizing glance later, the three Marauders shifted to a different subject.

"Prongs, Mate, you've been acting rather cozy with Hermione all day. Is there something you'd like to tell us?" asked Sirius.

"What exactly are you getting at, Padfoot?" snapped James testily. His head was resting in his hands, which were pressing on his temples as if he had a headache. It was clear that Sirius' comment had reminded him of something. And that something was now stressing him out. All he received in return for his rudeness was a raised eyebrow. He exhaled forcefully. "I didn't think of Lily once today. What does that even mean? I haven't gone an hour without doing that since first year, Sirius!"

"James," began Remus hesitantly, "Maybe it doesn't mean anything. Maybe you're just becoming less obsessive about her." Here he paused, trying to figure out the right words for what he was about to say next. "You've been after Lily a long time. I think that you should take a few minutes- it doesn't have to be now, although before you see her again might be a good idea- and really step back from the situation. What is it about her that makes you feel like she's the only possible girl for you?"

"Could you sound anymore like you were quoting Witch Weekly?" Sirius scoffed. They ignored him.

"Evans is perfect. She's smart, kind, beautiful, stubborn, and driven. Why is it that nobody believes that I could truly care for her!" James' voice had started small and grown marginally louder. In a flash he was standing, causing Hermione's body (which had been propped against his) to slump over. A tiny snore escaped her and they all jumped.

"Well at least she's stopped glowing." said Sirius. He then switched to a sickeningly sweet tone. "Look at her, all tuckered out."

"Sirius Black! Be nice to the poor girl. She must be exhausted." scolded Mrs. Potter. He squeaked in surprise, not having heard her enter the room. In response to her rebuttal, she received a contrite nod of the head and he bid them goodnight before heading off to bed. Remus was the next to meander off to his room, leaving the remaining Marauder with a pearl of reason.

"She may be all the things you say, James, but have any of those qualities been expressed toward you? Don't assume all of the blame for the situation you two are in." and then he too disappeared out the doorway. Now there was only mother, son, and guest left. Dorea looked up at her son with an odd look in her eyes. Never before had she heard any doubts expressed in relation to Lily Evans. There was something more to this than there seemed. Her mother had always told her that there was a deeper meaning for every reaction, if you looked hard enough. And she was sure that whatever was at work within her son was the same thing that brought Hermione into their lives.

The aforementioned girl's body slowly became restless the longer she slept. Her countenance was troubled. She began to whimper and shake her head. A concerned James took a step forward, prepared to wake her, only to be held back by his mother. Together they stood there motionless, witnesses to the pain experiences by the girl in front of them. A few minutes passed. Tears began to roll down Hermione's face. The intake of air one experiences before letting loose a scream rushed into her lungs. And in that moment, the moment before the scream, Dorea understood.

_AN: Sorry about the half-cliffhanger. I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as I can. (Don't depend on that being less that two weeks. But who knows, I might surprise you!) Reviews are the air that keep me alive here at the bottom of the black lake. : )_


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